New job is good for family

PublishedDecember 4, 2013

By Sandy Bond

Jennifer Harter

As a longtime employee of Mobridge Regional Hospital and Clinics, Jennifer Harter has always felt a calling to help others. Now she feels extremely fulfilled as she is training to be a pharmacy technician at Family Pharmacy’s clinic location.
“It’s one of the best things that ever happened to our family,” she said.
The daughter of David Harter, a mechanic, and Cynthis Dubitz, a jewelry designer and florist, she feels she must innately have an artistic touch as she loves to draw and delve into anything artistic. She and her sisters Kerie Harter Craig, Nicole M. Harter, and brothers Darik, 13, and Jim, 14, grew up in the Rapid City area. The family moved rather frequently and Jennifer always hated being the new girl in school. However, since their most recent move to Mobridge, she has finally found a place she feels she belongs.
Harter said she cried for days, because she didn’t want to go to a place called Mobridge. She had never heard of the town.
“Plus my dad and stepmom Ladda Harter and brother Darik were still in the hills and this would mean less time with them,” she said. “The summer of 1997, we moved to Mobridge. Once again I would be the ‘new girl’ but within a short time my younger sister and I made some close friends and I fell in love with Mobridge, especially the river.”
She remembers telling her mom how cool it was the whole town had one mascot, she said.
“I’m also a sucker for a sunset and hope to never take our beautiful river view over Lake Oahe for granted,” she said.
Her very first job was delivering the Mobridge Tribune and she also worked in the children’s section of the library for several summers.
“I’m a ‘Heinz 57’ and can count 12 distinct ethnicities but mostly Italian, German, and Irish,” she said.
Harter adores cooking Italian meals for her family, especially their tomato sauce that has been passed down for generations.
She and fiancée Max, the son of Lonnie and Lois Greger, have two sons, Max Allen, 4, and Rex Allen, 2.
“We bought our first house in 2010 and plan to stay in Mobridge. It’s wonderful to raise our boys here. There is so much they can learn about the outdoors,” she said. “I feel that the community gives the residents the feeling of closeness they might not have in a large community.”
She feels that she inherited an artistic flair from her mom, but that may or may not extend to cooking.
“Matt happens to be one of those people who can cook anything and it tastes amazing. I call him The Master Chef,” she said. “So I do blame him for me not learning to cook as much as I should, but I actually do love to cook.”
Jennifer admits she’s not one of those normal people that cooks something different every single night.
“Leftovers are wonderful,” she said. “I aspire to balance my life around healthy whole nourishing food for the body, because who wants to order pizza all the time?”
But for some reason, she said, her sweet tooth wins a little too often.
Matt saved the meal a time or two, she admits.
“I have a magnet on my fridge that says ‘Dinner is ready when the fire alarm goes off,’” she said. “One time I was simply making Ramen noodles and I discovered apparently you must remove burner covers before you turn on the range. I mean, who would think that?”
Rex, 2, would be happy with having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or a butter and jelly toast. But both boys do like their fruits and veggies as well, and are particularly fond of such things as raw broccoli, she said with some pride.

JENNIFER HARTER’S RECIPES

Enchiladas
8 enchiladas
1 8 oz. pkg. of mozzarella (shredded)
1 can refried beans
1 ½ lbs. hamburger
½ pkg. Lipton Beefy Onion Mix
1 Tbsp. onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cans Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 can enchiladas sauce (mild or medium)
1 pkg. burrito shells
Brown burger while seasoning with salt and pepper. Mix in dry onion powder. Add half to whole can beans (whichever is preferred). Put 1/8 of cheddar on each shell and 1/8 hamburger. Roll up and put in a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan. Put in onion powder and cheddar soup and enchilada sauce to a pot to heat. Pour on top, making sure the sauce goes between shells. Top with mozzarella. Brown in a 375 F oven for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Figgy Nut Balls
7 or 8 dried figs
1 cup raw pecans
1 tsp. vanilla
Soak figs in water about one hour or so or if you’re in a hurry use hot water to speed process.
In food processor on low or using pulse setting until they’re nicely ground. You don’t want to make pecan butter here! Add cocoa powder. Blend or pulse for another few seconds. Add six soaked and crushed figs to mix. Best to use a little water to create proper texture. Process on low until they’re processed enough so you can pinch off a teaspoon size chunk and roll into balls in the palm of your hands in bite size pieces.
Optional:
• you can use walnuts
• cocoa powder with a touch of vanilla and peanuts
They refrigerate well but they won’t last long!